Junior Year: A New Year; A New Beginning
Caralyn Sirard
University of New England
Junior Year: A New Year; A New Beginning
Junior year is an exciting and extremely stressful year: a new campus, new professors, new faces, new situations, and experiences. To try and keep myself on track with the new year, I recognized two goals I wanted to achieve the most during the first semester. My first goal was not to allow the things I cannot control, consume all my time, and spend more time on schoolwork. This goal was vital to me since I suffer from a mental illness, and have done poorly in the past by letting my emotions overpower my motivation for school. I recognized some strategies to utilize if I was starting to feel down, such as: reading a book, going for a walk on the beach, and looking at the stars. All things that bring joy to my life and shift my energy towards positivity.
This semester I was almost entirely successful in reaching my goal. There were days during the semester where I didn’t put as much energy in at reaching my goals because there were days where I wouldn’t leave my bed at all. On the other hand, there were times when I pushed myself even harder to get out of bed and stay motivated. Reaching this goal is going to continue to be worked on every day because being able to help others by the end of the day is my biggest motivator.
The second goal I set for myself was to spend more time studying, and less time on social media, This year, I spent a lot more time studying, but still needs improvement. I have developed new studying techniques, researched videos on my own time, and spoke to studying professionals for advice. I have started to become more independent with my studying methods, and because of that, I am proud of myself. I have never been a great test-taker, but I am slowly starting to understand and learn from my previous mistakes. To limit the amount of time I spent on social media, I would turn my phone off or leave it in my room when working on assignments. I used social media as a reward after completing a task or spending a few hours studying. Social media became more of a bonus rather than a priority. Furthermore, I will continue to work on and continuously improve.
When it comes to reaching goals, there are numerous methods and strategies one can take to lead them in the right way of succeeding. Some strategies that I utilized to reach my goals were: reaching out for help, spending “me” time, rewarding myself with treats when I did well on an exam, and lastly, trying to get enough sleep each day. Even though I had robust strategies to meet my goals, I had just as strong of barriers such as: lack of motivation, feeling insecure, temptations, stress, family problems, and other emotional/mental stressors. Most of my restrictions had to do with ineffective coping and emotional disturbances. On the other hand, all these barriers can be overcome with time and effort.
According to Prochaska’s Transtheoretical Model, I would say that I am in the preparation stage. This theory states that people in this stage are likely to be experimenting with small changes in behavior and have resolved to make a serious attempt to change their future and would respond well to structured programs that can help them get to the next level. I think I fit in this category because I am using formal programs such as SASC to help bring me to the next level of readiness for change. The changes I have made aren’t as drastic and successful as they could be, but they are on the road to the right place. Over the semester, there were periods where I put more effort into reaching my goals than I ever had before. As I become more aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy environment and spending more time studying, I am more willing to put in the effort and continue to grow.
Some changes necessary for me to reach my goals are devoting more time to studying, and not just the night before. Spacing my time out and organizing a planner is a great way to stay on top of assignments and exams. Furthermore, continuing to spend time on activities that relax me and are enjoyable rather than invest my time in negative energy are all techniques that will put me on the right road to reach my goals. After completing the self-reflection, I have realized that I am not as far off from my goals that I thought I might be. I am on the road to being better, which means a lot to me. It shows me that I can do anything I set my mind to and that I am more than qualified to change my routine. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, and being able to realize that shows the importance of life. Getting up every day and trying is something to be proud of, and I will never overlook the small steps I take to reach my destination.
